Bottom rail for venetian blinds



June 25, 1946. x, JABLIN 2,402,894

BOTTOM RAIL FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed OCT.. 19. 1945 `Z 1N VEN TOR.

Patented Jun'25, 1946 l UNITED STATES PAT ori-ice 2,402,894 BOTTOM RAIL FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Irving J ablin, Brooklyn, N. Y. I

Application October I9, 1945 Serial No. 623,287

Claims. (Cl. 16h-173) The invention relates to a bottom rail for Venetian Ablinds and other window shades, or curtains that require more or less added weight as an aid in lowering them and for holding them under requisite tension to prevent billowing and flapping from being wind blown.

As applied to a Venetian blind, the rail provides anchorage for the Slat-supporting tapes and the cords for raising the blind and, in order -to give the rail a pleasing exterior appearance and nish, it is desirable to conceal the points of attachment from View. This is accomplished by giving the rail the form of a chambered casing, die-formed of light sheet metal and provided with openings through which the tapes and cords pass neatly and cleanly to the interior thereof, where they are secured.

For convenience in securing the tapes and cords within the casing, it is given the form of a at tube of approximately rectangular cross section, split lengthwise into two opposing trough-like sections, which are separable to give ready access to the interior and are suitably shaped to be snapped together and so held by ltheir own resilience.

To provide anchorage for the tapes and cords within the casing and at the same time stiffen and strengthen it and prevent bending or co1- lapsel under strain, it is reinforcedinteriorly by a core or filler of wood or other suitable material, sections of which preferably extend inward from each end of the casing to the point where the tapes and cords enter and are there given a terminal formation suitable for operatively attaching the tapes and cords thereto.

In addition to the foregoing, other structural features not specially mentioned above will be brought to attention in the detail description that follows.

A construction suitable for carrying the invention into effect is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but, it will be` understood, that no limitations are intended by this showing, other than are imposed by the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 4 shows the same parts in assembled re lation, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the wood llers.

Referring now to the drawing, I, I indicate several of the slats that form the lower portion of a Venetian blind, 2, 2 are the usual tapes that support the slats and 3, 3 are 'the' cords ordinarily employed for raising and lowering the blind.

The bottom rail is indicated at I and consists of a two-part shell-like casing, in 'the form of a at tube, divided lengthwise and suitably rein- `forced at the ends by a core or ller.

The rail sections 5, 5 are shaped up by forming dies from thin sheet metal but may be otherments, lt may be'I varied more or less, if desired.

The meeting edges of the rail sections are beaded, as indicated at '6, 6, and when assembled, the beads of one section overlap and grip the beads of the other section, securely but yieldingly interlocking the two sections together. In

assembling the sections, the resilience of the metal is such as to enable them to be snapped together and they will be thus spring-held, without the aid of other fastenings. In addition to serving the above described useful purpose, the

beads break the plain surface of the rail and give it an ornamental finish. A

R. The upper rail sectionis provided with slots 1, 1 and openings 8, 8, through which the slat- 85 supporting tapes 2, 2 and the blind raising and lowering cords 3, 3 are entered in the rail.

Anchorgae for the tapes and cords within the rail is provided by shaped portions of the end reinforcements 9, 9, which are preferably of wood and' conform in cross section approximately to Fig. 1 is a view in perspective, showing the Fig. 3 is an exploded view in cross section of I the bottom rail sections and wood filler.

the interior of the rail, including the beaded formation, which is followed in shaping these cores or fillers, as indicated at I0 (see Figs. 3 and 4).

The reinforcements '9, 9 extend inward from opposite ends of the rail to the point where the tapes and cords enter the same and are there reduced, as indicated at I I, to extend through and provide clearance for a loop I2 of each of the tapes,` which may be additionally secured by a tack or two, indicated at I3. The reduced end portions II, I I are also provided with openings IB for thepassage of the cords, the knotted ends I5 of which are drawn and held in counterbored portions I6 of such openings, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

For added appearance ends of the tubular bottom rail may be closed by caps I1, which are tightly fitted to be selfholding.

As the construction, operatlon\and many iinportant advantages of -the invention will be ap.- parent from the foregoing, it will not be nec essary to further describe the same.

I claim:

1. A bottom rail for a Venetian blind, formed in sections extending lengthwise of the rail and secured together by integral snap fastener formations at the meeting edges of the sections and a core within the rail providing anchorage for the blind-supporting tapes and cords.

, 2. A bottom rail for a Venetian blind, formed in sections extending lengthwise of the rail and secured together by integral snap fastener formations at the meeting edges of the sections and a sectional core within the -rail to which the' blind supporting tapes and cords are secured.

Iand amsn, the open mations at the meeting edges of the sections and a sectional core within the rail to which the blind-supporting ltapes and cords are secured, the sections of the core being spaced apart to position the sections thereof at opposite ends of the rail. Y

4. A bottom rail for a Venetian blind, formed in sections secured together by integral snap fastener formations at their meeting edges, one of the sections being slotted and apertured for the passage of the blind-supporting tapes and cords and a sectional core within the rail to which the tapes and cords are secured.

5. A bottom rail for a Venetian blind, formed in sections secured together by integral snap fastener formations at their meeting edges, one of the sections being slotted and apertured for the passage of the blind-supporting tapes and cords and a sectional core within the rail conforming approximately in cross section to the interior thereof and having end portions cut away to provide clearance for the aforesaid tapes and cords which are attached thereto.

' IRVING JABLIN. 

